Retailer-Controlled Showrooming

Abstract

A method for offering a purchase incentive from a retail merchandiser to a retail customer through a handheld customer communications device is executed at least in part by a computer system and includes receiving, at a first processor having a network address, data from an encoding that is scanned and wirelessly transmitted from the handheld customer communications device. A product that is associated with the encoding data is identified and a wireless address that is associated with the handheld customer communications device is recorded. The method further includes transmitting, from the first processor, pricing information for the identified product for display on the handheld customer communications device at the recorded wireless address and responding to a customer selection from the transmitted pricing information by transmitting an incentive message for display on the handheld customer communications device at the recorded wireless address.

1 . A method for offering a purchase incentive from a retail merchandiser to a retail customer through a handheld customer communications device, the method executed at least in part by a computer system and comprising:
 a) receiving, at a first processor having a network address, data from an encoding that is scanned and wirelessly transmitted from the handheld customer communications device;   b) identifying a product that is associated with the encoding data;   c) recording a wireless address that is associated with the handheld customer communications device;   d) transmitting, from the first processor, pricing information for the identified product for display on the handheld customer communications device at the recorded wireless address;   and   e) responding to a customer selection from the transmitted pricing information by transmitting an incentive message for display on the handheld customer communications device at the recorded wireless address.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1  wherein transmitting the incentive message comprises transmitting a coupon for display on the handheld customer communications device. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 2  wherein the coupon includes the name of a customer, wherein the name is associated with the wireless address that is associated with the handheld customer communications device. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 2  wherein the coupon is redeemable for purchase of a second product that is an alternative to the identified product. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1  wherein responding to the customer selection further comprises interacting with the retail merchandiser to determine the incentive. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1  wherein transmitting the pricing information comprises transmitting prices from a plurality of providers of the identified product. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the wireless address is a phone number. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the encoding is from a label that is scanned by the handheld customer communications device. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 8  wherein the label is attached to the product, to a product display, or to product packaging. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the encoding data is obtained from an image of the product, wherein the image is captured by the handheld customer communications device. 
     
     
         11 . A method for providing an incentive message to a customer for purchase at a retail store that is associated with a retail merchandiser, the method executed at least in part by a computer system and comprising:
 a) receiving, at a first processor having a first network address, a wireless transmission of data from an encoding, wherein the encoding is scanned using a handheld customer communications device that has a wireless address, wherein the encoding data identifies a retail product offered by the retail merchandiser;   b) obtaining, at the first processor, pricing information for the identified retail product from the retail merchandiser and from one or more alternate sellers;   c) transmitting the obtained pricing information to the wireless address for display on the handheld customer communications device;   d) receiving at the first processor an instruction from the handheld customer communications device at the wireless address, wherein the instruction indicates, as a selected product source, one of the one or more alternate sellers, wherein the instruction relates to a sale price for the retail product;   e) transmitting to the handheld customer communications device at the wireless address, an instruction that displays a prompt for entry of customer contact information, wherein the entered customer contact information includes at least a phone number or an email address;   f) receiving, from the handheld customer communications device at the wireless address, the entered customer contact information in response to the transmitted prompt;   g) obtaining a pricing decision from the retail merchandiser according to the sale price and the selected product source;   and   h) generating the incentive message according to the pricing decision and wirelessly transmitting the incentive message for display on the handheld communications device according to the customer contact information.   
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 11  wherein the incentive message provides an electronic coupon. 
     
     
         13 . A method for responding to a customer request for pricing information, the method executed at least in part by a computer system and comprising:
 a) receiving, at a first processor having a first network address, data from an encoding that is scanned and wirelessly transmitted from a handheld customer communications device that has a wireless address,   wherein the encoding data identifies a retail product offered by a retail merchandiser;   b) transmitting pricing information related to the retail merchandiser and to one or more alternate sellers for display on the customer communications device at the wireless address;   c) receiving, at the first processor having the first network address, one or more product-source instructions from the handheld customer communications device at the wireless address, wherein the one or more product-source instructions indicate at least one of the alternate sellers, wherein the one or more product-source instructions relate to a sale price for the retail product from the at least one of the alternate sellers;   and   d) generating and transmitting to the customer communications device, in response to the one or more received product-source instructions, an electronic coupon for display, wherein the electronic coupon relates to purchase of the retail product from the retail merchandiser.   
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 13  further comprising recording the wireless address when the encoding data is received. 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 13  wherein the encoding is scanned from a label that is attached to the product, to a product display, or to product packaging. 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 13  wherein the electronic coupon lists a name of a customer, wherein the name is associated with the wireless address that is associated with the handheld customer communications device.